Monday, July 13, 2009

Reviews:: A Field Guide To The Lazy MK's

A while back, we posted the Saskatchewan mix tape, and one of the most innovative acts was The Lazy MK's. Dubbing themselves as instrumental, pedal steel post-rockers, which is intriguing enough and guaranteed we'd give them a shot, but it was how steel player Etienne described the track we featured - Pakowki - that sealed the deal:

The weird atonal bends in this tune are supposed to sound like the whirring of the large fan mounted on the back of airboats. I had a job one summer where we used air boats to pick up rotting ducks so they wouldn't get other ducks sick when they would eat the maggots that came off the carcasses.

Honestly, if that doesn’t make you press play I’m not sure anything else I cobble together will, but I'll still try.

In March and The Lazy MK’s released their EP - A Field Guide To on Young Soul records. To be honest, I was pretty new to the MK's (Pakowki was the only track I heard), so when I sat down with their new EP, the first thing that grabbed me was the diversity the trio offers up. Normally, instrumental rockers find pockets of sound and specific emotions that work for them and expose subtle nuances to shift the mood. The Lazy MKs refuse to stand still, using their unique sonic mix – electric/stand-up bass, drums and steel guitar – to create a wide range of emotion. No song follows the same pattern as the one preceding or proceeding it, almost as if they are using the instruments as the secret ingredient in the Iron Chef kitchen.

Opening with the straight ahead rock of Forgotten, the Lazy MKs show they are more than another loud, quiet, loud, loud instrumental act. The slow burn of the three-minute track scorches you like the hottest days of the summer. They don’t build and build into an epic climax, opting instead to give the song a more realistic feel, letting the pleasant fatigue beat down on you as they transition into the country-fused Young and Sad. The track shines the spotlight on the the guitar and channels the heartache and pain of a classic country track, bending steel notes over the gentlest of drums.

Even with how good the opening tracks are, it's the last four tracks on the EP really show the range of The Lazy MK's. Granum Fire uses bigger drums and a catchy rock riff to completely change the listen, and makes the moody Burgess Lake hit harder. For the first time on the EP, the stand-up bass takes center stage and really heightens the shadows the track gives off. When you get to Hansen Lake Road - easily the highlight of the EP - you are hit with Etienne’s guitar, but it’s Chris Prpich’s bouncy bass line and Tyler Hammer's drums that turn the beautiful guitar work into something way bigger than the sum of it's parts. The song is a slight 2:49, but the band doesn't add one superfouous note and each second is engaging and infectious.

By the time you reach Pakowki, a song that blew me away with it's originality, you have already seen so many sides of the talented band, that you just sit back and enjoy the ride. Considering they trigger all of these thoughts and emotions without uttering a word or losing your interest for even a moment, it's pretty obvious that The Lazy MK's are yet another band from SK that are going to be making a big splash in the next couple of months.